LeBron James and Michael Jordan. A flame and a flicker. James is 28 and on fire, playing the
best basketball of his life. Jordan is on simmer; the great MJ turns 50 on Sunday.

The comparison continues to burn. Is LeBron better now than Jordan was in his prime? The
question is slightly skewed. Was Wilt Chamberlain better than Kobe Bryant? Different positions.
Different eras.

It is similar, if not the same, with James and Jordan. LeBron is a small forward who plays like
a point/shooting guard in a power forward’s body. The King is a physical anomaly unlike anything
else seen in the NBA. And he keeps improving, having just ended an NBA-record six straight games of
scoring 30 points while shooting at least 60 percent from the field. Jordan was a more-prototypical
shooting guard who maximized his physical gifts through willpower and competitive drive. His best
statistical season was 1986-87, when he averaged 37.1 points and became the first player to record
200 steals and 100 blocks.

Forced to play one-on-one, Jordan would hurt James with midrange jumpers. James would overpower
Jordan in the paint. Call it a tie.

The better barometer is not one-on-one, but one-with-four. How do James and Jordan compare when
viewed through the lens of making their teammates better?

The answer requires some background. Jordan had the talent, if you can call it that, of
intimidating teammates into upping their games. He pushed them. He embarrassed them. He could be an
SOB about it.

Wright Thompson, an exceptional writer for
ESPN the Magazine, just penned a Jordan profile that paints the former Chicago Bull as a
brilliantly talented bully who relied on slights — real or perceived — to motivate himself to
become the best player of his era. And perhaps best ever.

Off the court, Jordan could be cruel. He would moo when Jerry Krause, the Bulls’ overweight
general manager, got on the bus. Jordan once spit on cinnamon rolls to make sure no one took his
food. He could be compassionate when the mood struck him. Meeting with Make-a-Wish kids “gutted”
him, Thompson wrote.

So Jordan earned respect on the court but created resentment away from the game, even among
those who admired his basketball skill and tenacity.

James, meanwhile, has followed a nearly opposite path. He has been criticized for taking too
soft an approach to hoops. Of not trying hard enough. But in the locker room he is friend to all,
making sure teammates feel good about themselves.

ESPN.com writer Brian Windhorst, who has tracked James’ career since middle school, explained
that LeBron grew up isolated until he began playing basketball, when he found his “family.”

“His first friends were his teammates, and he wasn’t going to upset them by hogging the ball and
being a prima donna,” Windhorst said yesterday. “That’s where his game mentality comes from. He’s
always looking to be inclusive.”

Off the court, James has been more misguided than malicious. Even
The Decision, when he announced on national TV that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavs for
the Miami Heat, was more about being out of touch with public sentiment than being mean-spirited.
Generally speaking, James is a nice guy.

The test, at least as it relates to the Jordan comparison, is whether James can carry the Heat
to multiple championships. He broke through last season by earning his first ring. Jordan won
six.

James seems like a different player, more mature and engaged, than when he played for the Cavs
(2003-2010). He earns more respect with every high-percentage shooting game that results in a
win.

Jordan’s legacy is as the greatest player, if not always the greatest person. If James continues
on his current path and wins a few more titles, he will have surpassed his idol on both counts.